Sam Stecklow
@samstecklow.bsky.social
journalist & FOIA fellow @invisible.institute
indie local news cheerleader
if you were really smart, you’d know what to do
orlando
he/him
indie local news cheerleader
if you were really smart, you’d know what to do
orlando
he/him
Pinned
Sam Stecklow
@samstecklow.bsky.social
· Jan 6
Seattle Investigated a Cop for Attending Trump’s Rally on Jan. 6. Phoenix Hired Him.
As Phoenix PD rushed to fill open positions, the department may have overlooked red flags in recruits' backgrounds.
theappeal.org
NEW: In 2021, Seattle cop Scotty Bach attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, resigned after an investigation found it was "inconclusive" whether or not he committed misconduct there, and sued to prevent his name from being released.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
In Missouri, there is no state law that automatically revokes a convicted police officer’s license.
That must change.
I explain why in my latest column for the Kansas City Star Editorial Board. To read the piece, click on the link below.
LINK
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
That must change.
I explain why in my latest column for the Kansas City Star Editorial Board. To read the piece, click on the link below.
LINK
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
February 13, 2026 at 3:23 AM
In Missouri, there is no state law that automatically revokes a convicted police officer’s license.
That must change.
I explain why in my latest column for the Kansas City Star Editorial Board. To read the piece, click on the link below.
LINK
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
That must change.
I explain why in my latest column for the Kansas City Star Editorial Board. To read the piece, click on the link below.
LINK
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
NEW: Puerto Rico municipal police officers are calling federal immigration agencies when they encounter migrants during traffic stops and at court hearings. In one instance, the cops held migrants at their police station until CBP arrived.
1/x
thelatinonewsletter.org/p/puerto-ric...
1/x
thelatinonewsletter.org/p/puerto-ric...
Puerto Rico’s Municipal Police Is Calling Immigration Enforcement on People
Nelfry Hernández-Valdez, a Dominican migrant, was driving through Isabela in September 2025 when he was stopped by officers from the Isabela Municipal Police Department (IMPD), according to a federal ...
thelatinonewsletter.org
February 7, 2026 at 11:28 PM
NEW: Puerto Rico municipal police officers are calling federal immigration agencies when they encounter migrants during traffic stops and at court hearings. In one instance, the cops held migrants at their police station until CBP arrived.
1/x
thelatinonewsletter.org/p/puerto-ric...
1/x
thelatinonewsletter.org/p/puerto-ric...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
NEW: It doesn’t happen often, but local law enforcement can arrest and charge federal agents.
Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable when they violate the Constitution and the law.
Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable when they violate the Constitution and the law.
“You’re Not Going to Investigate a Federal Officer”
It doesn’t happen often, but local law enforcement can arrest and charge federal agents. Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable w...
www.propublica.org
February 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM
NEW: It doesn’t happen often, but local law enforcement can arrest and charge federal agents.
Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable when they violate the Constitution and the law.
Legal experts say there’s a moral obligation to at least try to hold federal immigration officers accountable when they violate the Constitution and the law.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Identified: the El Paso BORTAC crew rampaging through the Midwest
One violent duo in particular, U.S. Border Patrol agents Michael Sveum (EZ-2) and Edgar Vazquez (EZ-17), have been frequently seen alongside former commander-at-large Greg Bovino terrorizing crowds wi...
unraveledpress.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 PM
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
1/ BREAKING: Government documents reviewed by ProPublica identify Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, as the two who fired their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:12 PM
1/ BREAKING: Government documents reviewed by ProPublica identify Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, as the two who fired their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
EXCLUSIVE: These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents
We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities
theintercept.com/2026/01/28/i...
We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities
theintercept.com/2026/01/28/i...
These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents
We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities.
theintercept.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:55 PM
EXCLUSIVE: These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents
We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities
theintercept.com/2026/01/28/i...
We built a guide to patches worn by ICE and CBP to help the public determine which federal agents are in their communities
theintercept.com/2026/01/28/i...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
There were witnesses. And victim accounts. One man was stripped of his certification for "criminal conduct" and "inappropriate sexual conduct while on duty." But it wasn't enough to charge 2 Idaho prison guards accused of sexually abusing multiple women. www.investigatewest.org/two-idaho-pr...
Two Idaho guards avoid charges for alleged inmate sex abuse
Investigative files reveal allegations from several women that weren’t enough for criminal consequences
www.investigatewest.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:53 PM
There were witnesses. And victim accounts. One man was stripped of his certification for "criminal conduct" and "inappropriate sexual conduct while on duty." But it wasn't enough to charge 2 Idaho prison guards accused of sexually abusing multiple women. www.investigatewest.org/two-idaho-pr...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
for the weekend crowd: I dug into a new podcast that pins a bunch of notorious murders on a long-dead Jewish man from San Diego. It's the ugliest true crime property in recent memory. [gift link] defector.com/michael-conn...
Michael Connelly Should Stick To Fake Crime | Defector
The origin of Michael Connelly’s new true crime podcast, Killer in the Code, was a rather far-fetched tip fielded by Rick Jackson, a retired detective from the Los Angeles Police Department. A self-de...
defector.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:43 PM
for the weekend crowd: I dug into a new podcast that pins a bunch of notorious murders on a long-dead Jewish man from San Diego. It's the ugliest true crime property in recent memory. [gift link] defector.com/michael-conn...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
The need for law enforcement transparency & accountability has never been clearer – especially as ICE wreaks havoc on communities.
But police misconduct has always been hard to track, penalize, and prevent.
These resources aim to change that 🧵
But police misconduct has always been hard to track, penalize, and prevent.
These resources aim to change that 🧵
January 27, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The need for law enforcement transparency & accountability has never been clearer – especially as ICE wreaks havoc on communities.
But police misconduct has always been hard to track, penalize, and prevent.
These resources aim to change that 🧵
But police misconduct has always been hard to track, penalize, and prevent.
These resources aim to change that 🧵
Fascinating to see former Utah police chief Ken Wallentine cited here as a use of force “consultant” voicing concerns about ICE tactics.
Wallentine spent years writing policies that protect cops who use force for Lexipol, and nearly all of his “consulting” in lawsuits has been on behalf of police.
Wallentine spent years writing policies that protect cops who use force for Lexipol, and nearly all of his “consulting” in lawsuits has been on behalf of police.
January 28, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Fascinating to see former Utah police chief Ken Wallentine cited here as a use of force “consultant” voicing concerns about ICE tactics.
Wallentine spent years writing policies that protect cops who use force for Lexipol, and nearly all of his “consulting” in lawsuits has been on behalf of police.
Wallentine spent years writing policies that protect cops who use force for Lexipol, and nearly all of his “consulting” in lawsuits has been on behalf of police.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
NEW, by me: Loose Rules Let State Police Hand Out Lax Penalties for Serious Misconduct
The agency's disciplinary system is weaker than other large departments in NY. Troopers who committed serious misconduct have been allowed to remain on the job.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
The agency's disciplinary system is weaker than other large departments in NY. Troopers who committed serious misconduct have been allowed to remain on the job.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
Loose Rules Let State Police Hand Out Lax Penalties for Serious Misconduct
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:33 PM
NEW, by me: Loose Rules Let State Police Hand Out Lax Penalties for Serious Misconduct
The agency's disciplinary system is weaker than other large departments in NY. Troopers who committed serious misconduct have been allowed to remain on the job.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
The agency's disciplinary system is weaker than other large departments in NY. Troopers who committed serious misconduct have been allowed to remain on the job.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Here's what I've been working on the past two and a half years: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
How We Tracked Down Thousands of Police Misconduct Files
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Here's what I've been working on the past two and a half years: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Join our team! The Invisible Institute is hiring an investigative reporter to join our team and work alongside our staff to report on police abuse, state violence, and official secrecy in Chicago and beyond. Apply by Feb. 15th!
The Invisible Institute is hiring for a full-time Investigative Reporter — Invisible Institute
The Invisible Institute is hiring an investigative reporter to join our team and work alongside our staff to report on police abuse, state violence, and official secrecy in Chicago and beyond.
invisible.institute
January 16, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Join our team! The Invisible Institute is hiring an investigative reporter to join our team and work alongside our staff to report on police abuse, state violence, and official secrecy in Chicago and beyond. Apply by Feb. 15th!
Taking a page from local cops in Minnesota:
January 27, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Taking a page from local cops in Minnesota:
Thanks to @prisonpolicy.org for featuring @invisible.institute's public police data projects the National Police Index and Civic Police Data Projects in this resource spotlight, in good company with our friends in California, Louisiana, and elsewhere:
Resource spotlight: Data projects tracking police misconduct, use of force, and employment histories
The need for law enforcement transparency, oversight, and accountability has never been clearer. We highlight data projects that have helped document and investigate misconduct, as ...
www.prisonpolicy.org
January 27, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Thanks to @prisonpolicy.org for featuring @invisible.institute's public police data projects the National Police Index and Civic Police Data Projects in this resource spotlight, in good company with our friends in California, Louisiana, and elsewhere:
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
We are excited to co-sponsor this event on police accountability in Oakland on January 22 with @ucbids.bsky.social, Anti-Police Terror Project (APTP), Community Law Enforcement Accountability Network, & the National Police Index.
hrdag.org/2026/01/13/t...
hrdag.org/2026/01/13/t...
Teach In on Data for Police Accountability | January 22, 2026 in Oakland, CA
For decades, law enforcement agencies across the United States have operated behind walls of secrecy—particularly when officers abuse their power or use lethal force. That opacity has real consequence...
hrdag.org
January 20, 2026 at 8:56 PM
We are excited to co-sponsor this event on police accountability in Oakland on January 22 with @ucbids.bsky.social, Anti-Police Terror Project (APTP), Community Law Enforcement Accountability Network, & the National Police Index.
hrdag.org/2026/01/13/t...
hrdag.org/2026/01/13/t...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Shaping narratives when police shoot and kill someone has been a fundamental part of how police and their supporters operate. For example, see this @yanak.bsky.social @samstecklow.bsky.social story about the Chicago Police Department from 2016: chicagoreader.com/news/how-chi...
How Chicago's 'Fraternal Order of Propaganda' shapes the story of fatal police shootings - Chicago Reader
When cops kill civilians, their union is on hand to defend them. In many cases this has come at the expense of the truth.
chicagoreader.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Shaping narratives when police shoot and kill someone has been a fundamental part of how police and their supporters operate. For example, see this @yanak.bsky.social @samstecklow.bsky.social story about the Chicago Police Department from 2016: chicagoreader.com/news/how-chi...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Police officers move to new departments all the time. What is the responsibility of local agencies to make sure they're not hiring officers accused of misconduct?
@samstecklow.bsky.social and I look at the hiring of one officer in Phoenix
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix...
@samstecklow.bsky.social and I look at the hiring of one officer in Phoenix
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix...
He was at Jan. 6. The Phoenix Police Department hired him anyway
Scotty Bach was a Seattle cop when he went to the "Stop the Steal" rally in D.C. Now he carries a badge in Phoenix.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Police officers move to new departments all the time. What is the responsibility of local agencies to make sure they're not hiring officers accused of misconduct?
@samstecklow.bsky.social and I look at the hiring of one officer in Phoenix
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix...
@samstecklow.bsky.social and I look at the hiring of one officer in Phoenix
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix...
NEW: In 2021, Seattle cop Scotty Bach attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, resigned after an investigation found it was "inconclusive" whether or not he committed misconduct there, and sued to prevent his name from being released.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
Seattle Investigated a Cop for Attending Trump’s Rally on Jan. 6. Phoenix Hired Him.
As Phoenix PD rushed to fill open positions, the department may have overlooked red flags in recruits' backgrounds.
theappeal.org
January 6, 2026 at 10:30 PM
NEW: In 2021, Seattle cop Scotty Bach attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, resigned after an investigation found it was "inconclusive" whether or not he committed misconduct there, and sued to prevent his name from being released.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
In 2022, he was hired by the Phoenix Police Department.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Timothy Loehmann killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a Cleveland park in 2014.
Records show Loehmann was recently hired again by not one, but two departments in West Virginia: the Snowshoe Resort Community District and the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office.
Records show Loehmann was recently hired again by not one, but two departments in West Virginia: the Snowshoe Resort Community District and the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office.
Officer Who Killed 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice Just Got Two More Police Jobs in West Virginia — Dragline
Public outcry erupted last July when news broke that Timothy Loehmann – the man who killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a Cleveland park in 2014 – was hired as a police officer by the City of White Sulph...
www.dragline.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Timothy Loehmann killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a Cleveland park in 2014.
Records show Loehmann was recently hired again by not one, but two departments in West Virginia: the Snowshoe Resort Community District and the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office.
Records show Loehmann was recently hired again by not one, but two departments in West Virginia: the Snowshoe Resort Community District and the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Over the past year, a group of activists, former law enforcement officials, and relatives of people who were harmed by police worked to recommend police reforms for Springfield, Illinois. Their new report reflects months of debate and compromise.
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference.
More than a year after Sonya Massey was killed by police in Illinois, a namesake commission has wrestled over changes that would prevent future tragedies.
boltsmag.org
December 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Over the past year, a group of activists, former law enforcement officials, and relatives of people who were harmed by police worked to recommend police reforms for Springfield, Illinois. Their new report reflects months of debate and compromise.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
New from Kevin Light-Roth: Tim Ballard promoted the use of sting operations to combat sex trafficking until his own sexual misconduct allegations tore his career to shreds. Now, the families of men he helped send to prison are demanding answers: theappeal.org/net-nanny-wa...
Tim Ballard’s Reputation is in Shambles. The Americans He Helped Arrest Want Answers.
After Ballard’s fall, the people he helped arrest in Washington want to know why no one seems willing to take a second look at their cases.
theappeal.org
December 9, 2025 at 5:01 PM
New from Kevin Light-Roth: Tim Ballard promoted the use of sting operations to combat sex trafficking until his own sexual misconduct allegations tore his career to shreds. Now, the families of men he helped send to prison are demanding answers: theappeal.org/net-nanny-wa...
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
new: government contractors are increasingly invoking trade secrets protections to shield products like gunshot detection, dna analysis, and facial recognition from public scrutiny.
via max blaisdell + matt chapman
via max blaisdell + matt chapman
Trade secrets protections shield information from public view
When a government contractor’s right to privacy outweighs the public’s right to know
chicagoreader.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
new: government contractors are increasingly invoking trade secrets protections to shield products like gunshot detection, dna analysis, and facial recognition from public scrutiny.
via max blaisdell + matt chapman
via max blaisdell + matt chapman
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
Several Chicago newsrooms spent two months collecting and analyzing evidence of ICE & Border Patrol's use of tear gas and pepper spray in Chicago.
They found that agents deployed chemical agents nearly 50 times. Most uses occurred after a judge ordered federal agents to restrict their use.
They found that agents deployed chemical agents nearly 50 times. Most uses occurred after a judge ordered federal agents to restrict their use.
Feds Used Chemical Agents Dozens of Times in Chicago
An investigation by reporters from six newsrooms found that agents used chemical irritants nearly 50 times during Operation Midway Blitz.
southsideweekly.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Several Chicago newsrooms spent two months collecting and analyzing evidence of ICE & Border Patrol's use of tear gas and pepper spray in Chicago.
They found that agents deployed chemical agents nearly 50 times. Most uses occurred after a judge ordered federal agents to restrict their use.
They found that agents deployed chemical agents nearly 50 times. Most uses occurred after a judge ordered federal agents to restrict their use.
Reposted by Sam Stecklow
NEW: Newly released video of a December 2023 incident inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center has raised questions about a judge’s decision to acquit one of the officers involved, experts and advocates told Injustice Watch. buff.ly/uM9m0zx
‘Horrific’ video of incident at Chicago’s juvenile jail raises questions about recent trial, experts say
Former Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee Kevin Walker was acquitted last month of charges related to the incident, which left a 15-year-old boy bruised and unconscious.
www.injusticewatch.org
November 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM
NEW: Newly released video of a December 2023 incident inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center has raised questions about a judge’s decision to acquit one of the officers involved, experts and advocates told Injustice Watch. buff.ly/uM9m0zx